0

iMessage is awesome, right? Since iOS 5 came out I’ve been telling all my friends and family (who, ironically, aren’t what you’d call tech savvy) to update and start sending messages for free. It’s super fast, I tell them, and your messages will be blue! Thrilling, to say the least.

There’s just one problem:

If you switch to an Android device from an iPhone (with iMessage activated), anyone who’s previously been sending you iMessages will no longer be able to send you texts. This is because there is apparently a bug with the iMessage system that doesn’t deactivate iMessage, even after you’ve switched your phone number to another device.

We first noticed the issue when link.me CEO Antony McGregor Dey sent us this thread from the Apple support forums. Until recently the only way that users could receive texts from iMessage users was if said iMessage users deactivated the service. Hardly what I’d deem a “fix.”

However, a smart iPhowner by the handle Alphonsusjude has figured it all out. So if you’re having trouble, pay close attention.

According to a few users on the thread, this was the best fix for the issue and solved the problem for everyone who tried it (or rather, those who tried it and responded).

The larger question is why Apple is either unaware of this, or not fixing it. iMessage is a solid feature that’s been added to iOS with the introduction of the iPhone 4S, but trapping people’s personal conversations is… not cool.